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United States Patent | 5,607,017 |
Owens ,   et al. | March 4, 1997 |
An apparatus and method for selectively restricting fluid flow in a well or well conduit. A dissolvable core material is positioned in the well and is isolated from the well fluids with an inpermeable sheath. The sheath is punctured with a control mechanism or other device so that the sheath is breached. The fluid dissolves the core material and permits fluid flow through the well or well conduit. The sheath can be punctured by pressurizing the well fluid, or by controlling the fluid pressure to activate a pressure sensitive control mechanism.
Inventors: | Owens; Steve (Katy, TX); Bouldin; Brett (Pearland, TX); Arizmendi; Napoleon (Magnolia, TX) |
Assignee: | PES, Inc. (The Woodlands, TX) |
Appl. No.: | 497782 |
Filed: | July 3, 1995 |
Current U.S. Class: | 166/288; 166/64; 166/302; 166/317 |
Intern'l Class: | E21B 033/13; E21B 036/04 |
Field of Search: | 166/317,376,285,291,292,179,192,288,64,57,60,302 |
3141513 | Jul., 1964 | Davis | 166/300. |
3164206 | Jan., 1965 | Sharp | 166/300. |
3208530 | Sep., 1965 | Allen et al. | 166/292. |
3420299 | Jan., 1969 | Cloud | 166/292. |
5479986 | Jan., 1996 | Gano et al. | 166/292. |